Services - Heartworm

Heartworm Disease and Prevention

Anyone who has ever had a canine friend knows that heartworm disease prevention is practically a summertime tradition in Minnesota. Because this disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, the warmer months of the summer and fall are "prime time" for your dog to pick up the disease. For this reason, it is extremely important for your dog to be heartworm tested and started on preventative care in the spring. The test is a simple blood test that may save your dog's life by detecting early heartworm disease, which your dog may be carrying even if he or she appears perfectly healthy! The test makes sure your dog did not pick up the disease during last year's "mosquito season." And the monthly preventative, which should be started no later than May 1st, nearly eliminates the chance of your dog acquiring this deadly problem during this year's warm months.

What if you faithfully gave your dog preventative for the whole heartworm season last year? Do you still need to have him or her tested? YES!! The slight chance still exists that your dog could have the disease. NO medication should be trusted to be 100% effective 100% of the time. And frankly, this disease is far too deadly to take any chances. In 1998 alone, our clinic had 8 dogs which tested positive for heartworm. This is extremely alarming — in past years it was rare to find one positive dot! Fortunately, because these owners did have their dogs tested, their pets were able to be treated and cured before the disease reached the more deadly stages.

Most veterinarians were taught in their school days that heartworm disease was practically non-existent in cats. This is also what most vets have told their clients, leading to a pervasive long-held belief that heartworm disease is not a threat to cats. Now recent research has led to the alarming conclusion that heartworm disease is an important consideration in cats. Although cats do not seem to pick up the disease as easily as dogs, once a cat is infected, the disease is even more deadly than in canines! An affected cat may appear perfectly healthy and then suddenly die. Autopsy results have found heartworm to be an important cause of these "sudden deaths" in cats. We have had at least one confirmed feline heartworm case in our practice in 1998, and suspect that it was a factor in other sudden cat deaths. Fortunately, monthly heartworm prevention for cats has become available. All cats are susceptible to heartworm, since it is spread by the all-too-pervasive mosquito. Please discuss feline heartworm disease with your vet and ask about preventative. This is yet another step you can take to protect your precious feline friend.

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CANNON VALLEY VETERINARY CLINIC

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